The Community Quilt Project

VA Hospital Service Project

The Community Quilt Project

Community Quilt for Mopshell

Our friend Mopshell is a pillar of the Pootie Peeps, author of some of the most wonderful community diaries about animal companions. A true artist with Photoshop, she has brought many, many smiles to petlovers across this site.

What people may not know is that she lives with a heart condition that severely curbs what she can do. It is fortunate that Mopshell lives in Australia where the health care system can be relied upon to help her — because she does regularly require that help. She wrote to me:

I have a heart condition that's inoperable. Essentially it's an extra heartbeat so while my atria are playing a lovely piece by Bach, my ventricles are playing a rock ballad! It's largely controlled by medication but every now and then something happens like a mild infection, and my heart immediately goes bonkers and I'm saying "hi!" to the lovely paramedics who cart me off to hospital for a few days 'til everything settles down again.

Because I never know when something is going to happen to set it off, I keep a hospital bag packed at the ready with bathroom things and fresh pyjamas. I also take my kindle and phone and their charges. I've spent a lot of time in the ED (same as ER) and gotten to know the overnight cleaner quite well (she's a dear!).

This woman has brought us so much pleasure, let’s make her a community quilt to let her know that people around the world care about her. Let us wrap her in loving words stitched together with colorful and fun fabrics — something she can use at home or take with her to the hospital when she needs to go. This is a way in which we can share our love with dear Mopshell.

Murfster35’s quilt, showing the blue backing

What is a community quilt? It is a type of “friendship” quilt bearing messages from you, the community, to a person facing hardship or illness. I transcribe your words in archival ink on muslin and my sister and I sew them into something warm, fun, and comforting.

It takes lots of time and material to make a community quilt and it is a living for me and my sister. If you would like to contribute toward Mopshell’s quilt, here is a PayPal link — or message me for an address if you prefer a check. $20/message is suggested by no worries if you cannot afford to donate. We still want your message! This is a crowdfunded thing and some always give more to cover messages for those who are short on funds.

Please note, if you leave a quilt message in PayPal rather than in the comments below, please also Kos mail me to let me know. The way PayPal is now configured, it is easy to miss attached messages.

Community Quilt Project on Daily KOS

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